“Transformation Mask”
“Transformation Mask”
Kwakiutl (N. Coast of Canada)
Late 19th century
Material: string, wood, paint
Context: animal and human, symmetrical, pull-string causing mask to open up (e.g. bird → cow).
Function: used in rituals (potlatch)
Potlatch: used to memorialized the dead, mark union of families through marriage
help tell a story, representing the transformation of a person into an animal or mythical creature during rituals and dances, often used to tell stories about ancestors and their heroic deeds.
